My So-Called Life
| list_episodes = #Episodes | producer = Alan Poul Monica Wyatt (co-producer) | executive_producer = Marshall Herskovitz Edward Zwick Winnie Holzman (co-executive producer) Scott Winant (co-executive producer) | location = | camera = | runtime = 47-48 minutes | company = The Bedford Falls Company ABC Productions | network = ABC | picture_format = | audio_format = | first run = | first_aired = | last_aired = | related = Mein Leben & Ich | website = http://abc.go.com/shows/my-so-called-life }} My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995, and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the fictional Liberty High School in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it follows the emotional travails of several teenagers in the social circle of main character Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes. The critically acclaimed but short-lived show ended in a cliffhanger with the expectation that it would be picked up for an additional season, but it was officially canceled on May 15, 1995. The show was praised for its portrayal of adolescence and the commentary of its central character, Angela. Themes My So-Called Life dealt with major social issues of the mid-1990s, including child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, adultery, school violence, censorship, and drug use. Many shows at the time used these themes as a one-time issue (a "very special episode") that was introduced as a problem at the beginning of an episode and resolved at the end, but on My So-Called Life these issues were part of the continuing storyline. The title of the show alludes to the perception of meaninglessness that many teenagers experience and encapsulates the main theme of the series. The show depicts the teenage years as being difficult and confusing rather than a light, fun-filled time. Characters *Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, is a 15-year-old sophomore at Liberty High School in Three Rivers, Pennsylvania, a fictional suburb of Pittsburgh. She is attempting to discover and assert her identity. To do this, she distances herself from her past and pulls away from her parents and her childhood friends, Sharon Cherski and Brian . In their place, she befriends Rayanne Graff and Rickie Vasquez. Angela has a crush on Jordan Catalano and admires him from afar; they later begin dating and eventually break up. With these new relationships, Angela finds herself in precarious and sometimes dangerous situations; despite temptation, she remains levelheaded and responsible. Angela narrates 17 of the 19 episodes in voice-over. :Alicia Silverstone auditioned before Danes and impressed producer Edward Zwick, who wanted to cast her as Angela; she was also emancipated, so she could work longer hours. His partner Marshall Herskovitz thought, however, that Silverstone was too beautiful to play a conflicted teenager uncertain of herself. Danes' audition impressed both, but as she was 13 and had to attend school, after her casting, the show increased the screen time for the parental characters. as Jordan Catalano, A. J. Langer as Rayanne Graff, Wilson Cruz as Rickie Vasquez, Lisa Wilhoit as Danielle Chase, Devon Odessa as Sharon Cherski, Claire Danes as Angela Chase and Devon Gummersall as Brian Kraków]] *Patricia "Patty" Chase, played by Bess Armstrong, is Angela's mother. Unlike many TV mothers, she is the main breadwinner and, at the beginning of the series, employs her husband. She is opinionated and often expresses her strongly held beliefs, which at one point leads to a confrontation with the free-spirited mother of Rayanne. *Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez, played by Wilson Cruz, is Rayanne Graff's other best friend. He is a gay 15-year-old boy being raised by his uncle, who physically and emotionally abuses him. Rickie wears eyeliner and bright clothing and feels most at home in the girls' bathroom with Rayanne and Angela. When his uncle kicks him out of the house, he is fostered briefly by the Chases; he is then fostered by gay English teacher Richard Katimski (played by Jeff Perry), who becomes a mentor to him. *Brian , played by Devon Gummersall, has an unrequited crush on Angela and is longtime friends with both her and Sharon. Despite his high IQ and insight into other characters, he lacks emotional intelligence and is socially awkward and self-righteous. This tends to alienate him from his peers. The other characters usually turn to him only when they have an academic or technological query, and he usually seems willing if not actually pleased to help them out. Brian is a conflicted character, fearing and often rejecting the intimacy that he intensely desires. He becomes friends with Rickie towards the middle of the series. *Rayanne Graff, played by A. J. Langer, is Angela's new best friend at the beginning of the series. She is wild, rebellious, and parented by a single mother (Amber, played by Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn). In the episode "Other People's Mothers", the depth of Rayanne's troubles are revealed when she suffers a drug and alcohol overdose at her own party. *Jordan Catalano is played by Jared Leto. He is good-looking but rebellious, his bad boy image masking the real reason for his poor scholastic record (he has an undiagnosed learning disability and is nearly illiterate). He is Angela's love interest, and during the series they have an on-again/off-again relationship. He reveals his emotional depth in his songwriting ability and his occasional profound thoughts. *Sharon Cherski, played by Devon Odessa, was Angela's best friend throughout childhood until Angela became friends with Rayanne. Sharon is pretty, conventional and academically minded, but her values and ideals are challenged throughout the show and she grows to be more open-minded. *Danielle Chase, played by Lisa Wilhoit, is Angela's younger sister. There is an emphasis on how much she is ignored by her family. She has a biting and sarcastic wit, serving as somewhat of a comic relief throughout the show. In the episode "Halloween", she dresses up as Angela and fools her parents with her near-exact replication of Angela's red hair, clothes, and demeanor. Danielle narrates the penultimate episode, "Weekend", in voice-over. *Graham Chase, played by Tom Irwin, is Angela's father. He's soft-spoken and struggles with his role in the household and the direction of his life in general. *Tino is never actually seen but is mentioned in almost every episode as a running joke of the series. He is a friend of Jordan and Rayanne. Tino is also the lead singer of Jordan's band, Frozen Embryos (later called Residue). Reception Critical reception My So-Called Life has received widespread critical acclaim and is praised by some critics as one of the greatest television series of all time.http://www.popmatters.com/article/dvd-set-shows-consistent-excellence-of-my-so-called-life/ On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a perfect 100% approval rating based on 10 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Effectively avoiding cliche and cheesy exposition, My So-Called Life's realistic portrayal of the average American girl is ahead of its time". On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating, the show has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". It is currently the 35th highest rated television series on the website. My So-Called Life was named the second Best School Show of All Time by AOL TV. It was number 33 on Entertainment Weekly's "New Classics TV" list of shows from 1983 to 2008, and in 2012 number 9 in its "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years". In 2007, it was listed as one of ''Time'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''". TV Guide ranked the series #2 on its 2013 list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon"Roush, Matt (June 3, 2013). "Cancelled Too Soon". TV Guide. pp. 20 and 21 and in 2004 ranked it number 16 on its 25 Top Cult Shows Ever list. Awards and nominations Ratings For its original run in the United States, it aired on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET against top-10 hit sitcoms — Mad About You and Friends on NBC, as well as the popular Martin and Living Single on Fox, possibly contributing to the series' low ratings. The producers said that they could not fault ABC for the creative freedom and support they gave them during production, as there were probably few networks that would have even put My So-Called Life on the air in the first place. My So-Called Life was produced before the explosion of youth and teen programming. The culture of television changed significantly in the years that immediately followed, most notably with the rise of The WB and UPN, networks that eventually catered to the teenaged audience My So-Called Life sought, in the late 1990s and early 2000s (decade) (The WB and UPN launched just two weeks and one week respectively before My So-Called Life's run on ABC ended). Holzman never intended the show to be exclusively for teens. In the end, not enough viewers of any age were watching the show during its initial network run. ABC was more focused on larger ratings numbers and wider demographics. Holzman said, "It is one thing to have huge ratings, but it is quite another to have smaller ratings but with an extremely passionate following. I don't understand why the network did not understand that." In conversations with then-ABC President Bob Iger, producers Zwick and Herskovitz told him that by broadcasting My So-Called Life the network was giving a voice to millions of young women who otherwise had no voice on network television. The show was making money for the network, and they told Iger he should keep the show on the air for no other reason than "good corporate works". At the end of its first season's run, the series ranked at #116 with a 7.0 rating with 6,678,000 homes tuning in from 1994 to 1995. Cancellation An online fan campaign attempted to save My So-Called Life, the first such event in the history of the World Wide Web. The arduous schedule and the mental and physical demands of the production of episodic television, however, caused difficulties for the young actors who had to balance schoolwork with rehearsal and time on the set. Herskovitz said Danes and her parents approached the show's creators and told producers that she did not want to be involved with the show if it continued for a second season."2002 Bonus DVD Interview (transcribed on www.mscl.com)", My So-Called Life DVD Box Set (AnotherUniverse.com), 2002. Retrieved 2011-03-25. When she heard that Danes was no longer keen to continue with the show, Holzman's attitude changed as well. She said, "When I realized that Claire truly did not want to do it any more, it was hard for me to want to do it. The joy in writing the show was that everyone was behind it and wanted to do it. And I love her. So part of the joy and excitement and happiness would have gone out of me if she had not been on board 100 percent. I wasn't able to say this at the time, but in retrospect it was a blessing for it to end at a time when we all enjoyed doing it. That's not to say that if the network had ordered more shows that I wouldn't have given it my best. But there was a rightness in how short the season was. This was a show about adolescence and sort of ended in its own adolescence. There was an aura about how short the series was like all things that die young. The show ended at a point that it was still all potential." The rumors of the end of the show strongly divided its fans. Flame wars raged across the internet, especially after Steve Joyner of Operation Life Support (a group that worked to save the show) and some cast members confirmed the rumors — angry themselves, in some cases. In a September 2004 edition of Entertainment Weekly, Danes insisted that she didn't have enough power to cause the cancellation by herself.Jeff Jensen"[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,692296,00.html Life As We Knew It: Looking back at My So-Called Life - How ABC's angsty gem set the tone for teen dramas]", Entertainment Weekly 10 September 2004. Retrieved 12 July 2010. It is generally accepted that ABC considered bringing the show back for a second season and may have even intended to (as then-executive Ted Harbert claims) due to its devoted fanbase, its quality and its critical acclaim. However, low ratings kept the network from reviving it. Winnie Holzman theorized that the network was so on-the-fence about renewing the show that in some ways they used Danes' reluctance to return as a convenient excuse not to renew the series. Episodes |ProdCode= 59300 |ShortSummary= Angela Chase starts her sophomore year at Liberty High. She dyes her hair red and abandons her best friend, Sharon, for her new, outgoing friend, Rayanne. She begins reading Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, which she greatly enjoys; she relates in some ways to Anne Frank. Her romantic interest in Jordan Catalano is established in this episode. She also lies to her parents about a night out, telling them that she is staying at Rayanne's house. Instead, she, Rayanne, and Rickie head to a club but are unable to gain access. In the parking lot, the two girls are hit on by some guys, leading to a confrontation. The girls are driven home by a cop, and Jordan Catalano notices Angela in the backseat of the police car. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59301 |ShortSummary= Rayanne arranges for Jordan Catalano to sell Angela a fake ID as a ruse for getting Jordan and Angela interacting more. Unfortunately for Angela, Jordan bungles his romantic approach to her. Although this constitutes the first time Jordan kisses Angela, she describes it in a later episode as a really bad kiss. Meanwhile, Patty and Graham stumble through ballroom-dancing lessons meant to re-spice their marriage. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59302 |ShortSummary= After a gunshot goes off in school, Brian Krakow experiences pressure from authority figures to inform on Rickie, who is suspected of having brought the gun to school. While parents become very concerned, students remain relatively calm about the situation. Although Rickie did not bring the gun to school, he wants fellow students to think he did, believing that he will be harassed less for his bisexuality. He points out in class that firearms are not just tools of aggression; they are also often tools of defense. After Angela comforts Rickie in his car, their friendship grows stronger. Meanwhile, Angela is dealing with a rumor that she had sex with Jordan Catalano. It is discovered that the rumor originated with Brian Krakow. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59303 |ShortSummary= Patty must deal with her father, whose printing business she now runs, when the IRS decides to do an audit. Patty makes a variety of suggestions, all of which go unheard by her unyielding father. Meanwhile, Angela and Graham's relationship is also strained as Angela gives Graham the silent treatment. Graham gives Angela and Rayanne tickets to the Grateful Dead, but Angela scalps them, angering Rayanne. Rayanne has no father figure and appreciates her interactions with Graham. Angela hides in Brian Krakow's car in order to make her dad think she went to the concert, knowing that he would be disappointed to learn she didn't, but he discovers the truth, and gives her the silent treatment. In the end, Graham asks Angela what kind of music she likes. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59304 |ShortSummary= The Annual Three Rivers Mother-Daughter Fashion Show is approaching. Rayanne's slut potential and Sharon's large breasts get mentioned on a Sophomore girls list made by some jocks. Angela, who is not on the list, feels self-conscious about her small breasts and a zit on her chin; she concludes that she is ugly. Coincidentally, Sharon becomes self-conscious about her large breasts. Patty does not understand why Angela does not wish to participate in the fashion show until she learns of Angela's insecurities. Angela suggests that her mom do the fashion show with Danielle. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59305 |ShortSummary= An unconventional substitute teacher temporarily turns Angela's English class into a poetry writing club. Students are encouraged to express themselves. Controversy arises when Patty, who runs a publishing company, reads an anonymous poem titled "Haiku for Him" alluding to sexual interaction, but the substitute assuages her reservations and she agrees to publish the poem along with the rest of the submissions in the school's literary magazine called Liberty Lit. The principal, however, does not share the libertarian attitude of his students; he confiscates every copy of the magazine he can, threatens to suspend any student distributing copies, and convinces the substitute to quit. Jordan Catalano, who is illiterate and was starting to learn to read under the tutelage of the substitute, is particularly incensed. Sharon is worried that it will be discovered that she wrote the poem, while Rayanne is worried people will discover that she didn't write it; they agree to keep the deception going, which leads to the emergence of a sort of agentic friendship. Angela, despite being disenchanted with the substitute after learning he abandoned his family, maintains that freedom of speech is critical and engages in civil disobedience, distributing copies of the 1994 Liberty Lit despite the prohibition. She informs her parents—who had, earlier, encouraged her to speak up for what she believes in—that she is willing to be suspended if that's what it takes to fight the injustice she sees. In the end, the parents back her, and the principal opts not to suspend her. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59307 |ShortSummary= Angela and Jordan get close when she learns of his reading problem, which she discovers because he was unable to read a note he found that she wrote about him. She speculates that he might be dyslexic, although he doubts it. After being invited to his band's practice session, she grows even closer to him when she hears his new song, "Red," which she and Rickie believe is about her, but which is actually about his car. Patty and Graham cope with a possible pregnancy. Graham becomes fond of the idea of having a son, and when Patty tells him that she is not pregnant, she realizes he is disappointed. Graham resorts to playing catch with Brian Krakow. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59308 |ShortSummary= After her father has a heart attack, Sharon moves in for a short while with the Chases. Angela wants to get closer to Sharon but doesn't know how. Rayanne, however, does get closer to Sharon, helping to drive her to the hospital. Sharon's father is approximately the same age as Graham, and the experience leads Graham to think about his future and how unsatisfied he is with his job. Despite his landing a big account, Patty fires her husband in order to free him to pursue a more fulfilling career. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59401 |ShortSummary= Halloween rolls into Three Rivers, blurring the line between facades and realities. When Patty and Graham venture to buy costumes on Halloween day, a pirate costume and a Rapunzel costume are all they can find; serendipitously, it leads the couple to passionate role-playing. Danielle dresses as Angela and goes trick-or-treating with Sharon. Angela, meanwhile, dresses as a schoolgirl from the early 1960s. After learning of Nicky Driscoll, a student who had died in the early '60s in the school, she, with Rayanne and Rickie, decides to break into the school on Halloween night. Brian Krakow shows up as well and facilitates the break-in. While there, Brian Krakow comforts the achluophobic Rayanne in the basement while Angela sees visions of Nicky Driscoll and the events leading up to his death. The experience gives Angela the motivation to convince Jordan Catalano not to let his teachers define his life for him. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59306 |ShortSummary= Rayanne, Angela, and Rickie are in the Chase kitchen, where Rayanne, who is fifteen, is drinking a beer. In order to take a bite of her pickle, she hands the beer to Rickie, at which point Patty and Danielle enter. Although Rickie does not drink, Patty initially believes Rickie was drinking the beer. She chastises Angela, informing her daughter that consumption of alcohol will not be condoned in the household by minors, whether family or not. Patty also reminds Angela that she will have to attend a dinner party to celebrate the anniversary of Angela's grandparents. Rayanne, Angela, and Rickie head to the Graff home, where Angela meets Rayanne's hippie mom, Amber Graff, with whom she is entranced; Amber appears to Angela very laid back. Amber, in contrast to Patty, does not mind children drinking in her home, so long as they do so responsibly. Rayanne decides to throw a party, which she schedules for the same night as Angela's grandparents' party. Meanwhile, Patty's mother, who has been treating Patty like a child, pressures Patty into having the party in the Chase home instead of a restaurant and commandeers the refrigerator, frustrating both Patty and Graham. On the night of the dinner party, the Chase family discovers that Patty's father will not be in attendance. Angela, frustrated that she is being required to attend a party being held for someone not himself in attendance, opts to violate her orders and attends Rayanne's party, where Rayanne takes ecstasy and drinks copious amounts of alcohol. The combination has an extremely adverse effect on Rayanne. When Amber enters, she kicks nearly everyone out (save for Rayanne, Rickie, and Angela) and chastises Rayanne for the noise, for not keeping the party's guest list small, and for drinking to excess; she does not, however, show much sympathy for Rayanne's condition, about which both Rickie and Angela are highly concerned. Angela calls Patty, who comes over and makes sure Rayanne is taken to the hospital. Patty then invites Rickie and Angela to a "very dull" party, which both are happy to attend. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59402 |ShortSummary = This episode is told from Brian's point of view. Everyone's love life gets screwed up by the school World Happiness Dance. Brian has his first erection "from actual physical contact" when a new transfer student, Delia, touches his hand, and he asks her to the dance. Jordan won't ask Angela to the dance, so Angela asks Brian to drive her to the dance. Brian, realizing this is his chance to woo Angela, breaks his plans with Delia. Rickie develops a crush on Cory, and Rayanne asks Cory to the dance with her and Rickie. At the dance, Rickie thinks Cory might be hitting on him, but it soon becomes clear Cory was interested in Rayanne all along. Angela gets angry at Brian for snubbing Rickie and scheming to get her alone. Brian sees Delia at the dance and tries, unsuccessfully, to reconcile. Jordan comes to the dance and tells Angela that he likes the way "she is." Angela, buoyed by a successful conversation with Jordan, admits she ruined Brian's night and asks him to dance. Brian declines. In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #37 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59403 |ShortSummary = Jordan won't acknowledge his new relationship with Angela, Graham starts his cooking classes, and a new teacher invites Rickie to join the drama club. In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode #44 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59404 |ShortSummary = Angela considers sleeping with Jordan, while Graham considers starting his own restaurant. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59405 |ShortSummary = Feeling left out of Angela's life, Rayanne becomes lead singer of the Frozen Embryos. Meanwhile, Patty thinks Rayanne has started drinking again. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59406 |ShortSummary = Christmas in Three Rivers finds Rickie out on the street after a fight with his abusive uncle. Angela, aided by a mysterious homeless girl (Juliana Hatfield), tries to help him, putting her at odds with Patty. Meanwhile, Brian faces Christmas alone. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59407 |ShortSummary = The new year begins, and everybody makes their resolutions without resolving to keep them. Rickie's home situation puts him on his own odyssey, Brian and Jordan do some mutual tutoring, and Graham considers Hallie's proposition(s). |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59408 |ShortSummary = Rayanne wins the starring role in the school play but loses Angela's friendship after she and Jordan get drunk and have sex in his car. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59409 |ShortSummary = Rayanne accidentally handcuffs herself to Patty and Graham's bed when Angela's parents go out of town for a weekend. The episode is narrated from Danielle's perspective. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} |ProdCode= 59410 |ShortSummary = Everybody in Three Rivers is having weird dreams lately. Jordan, hoping to win Angela back, enlists Brian to help him say the right words, resulting in The Letter. Delia has a crush on Rickie, Patty dreams about her old beau, and Graham cooks for the investors. Rickie's odyssey and the MSCL season comes to an end. |LineColor= dfbf68 }} }} DVD and online release On 14 May 2007, Universal Playback released the complete series in the United Kingdom in Region 2. On October 30, 2007, Shout! Factory re-released My So-Called Life on DVD in Region 1 in a six-disc box set with a disc of special features, including an interview with series star Claire Danes. Shout! Factory is a distribution company that has released short-lived shows in the past. On September 13, 2007, Eurovideo released the complete series on DVD in Germany in Region 2; The 5-disc boxset featured German and English soundtrack but no special features. On June 10, 2008, Beyond Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Australia in Region 4.https://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/799508 On December 3, 2008, Free Dolphin released the complete series on DVD in France in Region 2, with a 32-page booklet but no other special features. Soundtrack Atlantic Records released a soundtrack of the show, which was originally released on August 25, 1994, then re-released on January 24, 1995. Sequel novel A sequel novel by Catherine Clark, My So-Called Life Goes On, was published in 1999 by Random House. References External links * * * Category:1990s American high school television series Category:1990s American teen drama television series Category:1994 American television series debuts Category:1995 American television series endings Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:American LGBT-related television shows Category:English-language television programs Category:Television shows set in Pittsburgh Category:1994 soundtracks Category:Atlantic Records soundtracks Category:Alternative rock soundtracks Category:Television soundtracks Category:Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television